Ignition device for explosive-engines.



0.1. MASON. IGNITION DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 23, 1910'.

1,030,243. Patented June 18,1912.

WJTNESSES: LVVENTOR'.

ATTORNEY.

CHARLES 'l. MASON, OF SUTYITER, SQUTH CAROLINA.

IGNITION DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGINES.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Application filed November 23, 1910. Serial No. 593,819.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES THOMAS MASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sumter, in the county of Sumter and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Ignition Devices for Explosive-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled n the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figu es of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to means whereby an electric generator may be associated with an explosive engine for ignition purposes, and consists of means ohereby the generator is operated by the engine, or by hand at will, the latter arrangement admitting of the production of spark while the piston or pistons of the engine are in any desired posi tion, either in motion. or at rest.

My invention also consists in so arranging the generator that the armature may be moved by the engine into the firing position ready to produce a spark, and held in this position until released by hand, thereby enabling the ignition to be effected at the will of the operator.

Figure l is a front elevation of my invention. Fi 2 shows the trip lever and the trigger catch mechanism associated therewith. Fig. 3 shovvs the trip lever mechanism being actuated by hand.

"Tfhe-saine figures of reference designate the same parts wherever they are shown.

The preferred form of generator used with my invention is of the s'o-called magneto type, and consists of permanent magnets 11 between the ends of which exist a magnetic field. In this is placed an armature, the shaft of which is indicated at 15, this shaft being supported at each end of the machine by suitable end plates. it will be und stood that the rear end plate not shown in the drawing, torms a support for the armature shaft and the insulated terminal connected to one end of the armature winding, the other end of the winding being connected to the frame of the machine. This construct-ion is already Well known in the art. To the frontend plate 16 is attached the bolts 17 and 18 for holding one end of the same to one side.

closed springs 6 and 7, the other end of these springs being attached to the pins 19 and '20 on thctrip lever 1. This plate also carries a support 23 for the trigger catch 13 and handle Ii weight is attached to the trigger mechanism so it will remain placed in either a vertical or horizontal position.

Attached to the. trip lever 1 in any suitable manner at 2' is the igniter rod i, the end of which engages the movable member 10 of the igniter, this movable member normally contacting on a fixed member 25 within the cylinder of the engine. Between these members the spark for ignition is produced, as they are connected in circuit with the armature Winding of the magneto.

The magneto is mounted on the engine in such a position that the cam pin 8 attachet. to the cam disk 9 mounted on the cam shaft 21, or some other part of the engine, will-as it moves in the direction of the arroiven gage the end 22 oi the trip lever 1 and move This movement is against the tension of the springs o and 7, and as soon as pin 8 passes beyond 22 the springs exert their force on the trip lever 1, and cause the armature connected thereto to violently oscillate in the magnetic field, producing an electrical current. it will also be noted that at the same time, the rod 4 is pushed outwardly, by reason (3f the trip lever oscillating beyond its normal position to the right, and the contact points of the ignitcr are separated, a spark being produced at the same time that the electrical current is at its maximum, thereby igniting the charge. Normally, the ignitcr points are closed pro ducing a closed circuit through the armature 'Winding.

It is evident that the magneto and the igniter will be timed and operated in proper relation. to each other as long as the cam shaft or other portion of the engine in n'iotion, but it is often desirable to produce a spark when the engine is not moving, as when starting the engine particularly in large engines which are difiicult to move so as to actuate the magneto as just described therefore, I provide the following means for operating the magneto independently of movement from the engine.

In the cam lever 1, l provide a socket 3 in which may be placed a lever 5. The trip lever may then be drawn to the right as shown in Fig. 3 until the end l of same is lever will hook under the trigger catch 13,

hooked under the trigger catch 13 as shown in Fig. 2, the weight 12 being omitted for the sake of clearness. It will now be noted that the springs are under tension. When it'isdesired to produce a spark, the trigger 2 is drawn to the right, thereby releasing the end of trip lever 1 from under the trigger catch 13, and the armature is oscillated by the s rings as previously described, and the spar produced .in the usual manner, this being accomplished without any movement on the part of the cam shaft or other part of the engine ordinarily used for operating'the magneto. As soon as the engine has been started, the lever 2 isplaced in a horizontal position thereby raislng the trigger catch 13 so that the end 14 of th e trip lever will not catch under same as it s regularly movedback and forth by the enine. Y g If it is desired to stop the engine it is only necessary to place trigger 2 in a vertical position whereupon the end 14 of the trip and the magneto will be locked, thereby stopping the engine. It will be observed that if the engine stops under compresslon, the simple release of the trigger mechanism will cause the magneto to generate and start the engine.

I. am aware that it is not new to operate a generator for ignition purposes by some moving part of the engine it is used with, but with devices of this character heretofore used, especially with large engines which cannot be moved by hand, it is necessary to have battery ignition for starting,

as no provision is made for operating themagneto independently of the engine, and it cannot generate until the engine is in motion. After the engine is started, it is customary to disconnect the battery and substitute therefor the magneto. This requires switches and considerable wiring. With my invention, it is obvious that the spark can be generated at will by the operation of the magneto by hand, thereby-eliminating the use of the battery and 'the switch, wiring, etc, incident thereto. .This also enables the engine to be stopped by locking the magneto, and started by releasing the magneto as previously described, and it is not detrimental to the magneto to remain on short circuit while the engine is not running, Whereas, if batteries are used, they would be exhausted unless the switch was opened,

which is often forgotten.

While I have shown but one type of generator, same being actuated from the cam shaft of the engine, and one means of operating the spark gap or igniter, it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the precise form herein described, as other forms of magneto and means, of operating same in connectionwith the "spark gap are 2. In an ignition device for explosive engines', the combination of an oscillating dynamo, a trip lever carried th reby, springs for restraining said trip lever, a make and 'break spark gap actuated by said springs,

means operated by the engine for moving e.

the trip lever to the firing position, means for holding the trip lever at the firing position, and means for releasing the trip lever to cause an oscillation of the armature and the operation of said make and break ingiter in unison, independently of movement 'or" the engine.

3. An ignition device for explosive engines comprising an electric generator hav- 'ing an oscillating armature, a trip lever for said generator, springs restraining said trip lever, a firing rod oscillated by said trip lever, sparking mechanism actuated by said rod, means for holding the trip lever against the tension of said springs, and means for I.

releasing the trip lever to produce a spark substantially as described.

' 4. In an ignition device for explosive en- .gines, the combination of a suitable dynamo,

an oscillating armature in said dynamo,

plates for supporting the armature, a trip lever carried by the armature shaft. springs connected to the trip lever, means for moving said trip lever against the tension at said springs, a trigger positioned near the trip lever so as to engage and hold same under tension, and means for releasing the trigger.

5. In an ignition device for explosive engines,- the combination of a suitable.

dynamo, anoscillating armature in said dynamo, end plates supporting the armature, a trip lever carried by the armature shaft, springs between the trip lever and one end plate, means for moving said trip lever against the tension of said springs, andv trigger mechanism for holding the armature under tension and releasing it at will.

6. In an ignition, device .for explosive engines, a definitely timed oscillating generator of electricity in combination with a make and break igniter, operating means for said generator, means for manually stopping the oscillation of said armature and to hold same locked ready to generate, and

means for releasing s'eid armature and operst ne .he'igniter to produce a spark, substd Jelly as described.

'7, an ignition device, a dynamo having d plate for said armature, a trip lever on armature, springs between said trip and the end plates, a make and break mechanically connected to said trip Working in unison therewith, ism. positioned near said trip s me in e given position, means the trip lever, and manual y said trigger mechanism may notion to hold the trip lever said operating means.

c, eynel'lio having an armature adapted an armature adapted to be oscillated, an

to be oscillated, spring mechanism connected to said armature whereby it is maintained in a predetermined normal position, manual means for moving said armature against the tenslon of said spring mechanism and out of the normal position, locking means for holding said armature out of: the normal position, and means for releasing said locking means whereby the armature is permitted to oscillate and produce a current, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the'presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES T. MASGN. Witnesses:

t). DELGAR,

H; R. VAN Dnvnn'rrin. 

